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Style that sticks. Need a fashion fix for hemlines, necklines, and everything in between? The Style Stick is a temporary fashion adhesive designed to fight the war on wardrobe malfunctions and fashion faux pas. Secure straps in place, battle button gaps, fix fallen hemlines, and more. This hypoallergenic and water-soluble substance will stick until it’s washed or dry cleaned, making it an innovative alternative to fashion tape and other similar solutions

$12.00

Hypoallergenic

Water soluble

Style that sticks. Need a fashion fix for hemlines, necklines, and everything in between? The Style Stick is a temporary fashion adhesive designed to fight the war on wardrobe malfunctions and fashion faux pas. Secure straps in place, battle button gaps, fix fallen hemlines, and more. This hypoallergenic and water-soluble substance will stick until it’s washed or dry cleaned, making it an innovative alternative to fashion tape and other similar solutions.
Includes two Style Sticks
Hypoallergenic
Water soluble

The Importance of Getting Your Appearance In Order

Putting more thought into your appearance is one of the easiest ways to improve your social prospects and the way people see you. It falls under the broader category of non-verbal communication. Unless you’re really likable as a person, a lot of people will have a hard time looking past a sloppy exterior. And why not live up to your appearance’s full potential?

Most people are pretty superficial and mentally lazy when they size others up. If you look like you have your act together, they can’t help but assume you really do. The opposite is true too, if you don’t look all that great, people will attribute all kinds of negative traits to you. But clean up your look, and suddenly you don’t seem so bad, and everyone’s more willing to give you a chance, even though you’re the same person deep down.

This article is referring to the kinds of good grooming and dressing that cuts across all social groups and identities. Sometimes certain ways of dressing or styling yourself are central to a niche you belong to. I’m not saying everyone has to adopt a standardized ‘fashionable’ uniform. I’m more talking about just looking decent, whatever your scene is, and not selling yourself short.

For some people improving their appearance can have a drastic effect on their social lives. As an example, several times I’ve heard anecdotes from people regarding the impact of losing a lot of weight. Rightly or wrongly, when they got in better shape everyone started treating them much, much better. They realized:

For years I couldn’t seem to get anywhere with people, even though I considered myself someone who made an effort to be personable and friendly. I got pretty depressed and wondered what was wrong with me. Then I lost the weight, and it became clear that my only problem in the past was that I was fat, and people weren’t giving me a chance because of it. Now they suddenly think I’m likable and worth knowing, even though I’m the same person.

I won’t lie, stories like that can make you lose faith in your fellow man, but it does drive home how much outward appearances play a role in social situations.

The two levels of improving your look

When I talk about looking better, there are two degrees of this. The first is to just get yourself looking half-decent and eliminate any blatant appearance-related mistakes. I’d have a hard time arguing that someone shouldn’t at least do this. There aren’t any downsides at all to it.

The second level would be to put the effort into becoming more fashionable than average. There are benefits to doing this, but it takes more work. You have to learn about clothes and style, devote time to shopping, and possibly spend more money.

You don’t have to take this extra step to have a good social life. As long as you’re reasonably well put together your clothes won’t be a big influence on your social results. Outside of a few fashion-obsessed types, most people don’t devote a lot of mental energy to their friends’ clothing choices (unless their buddies are wearing something blatantly unstylish).

Getting outside feedback on your style and grooming

This article is about the importance of looking half-decent, but that doesn’t automatically mean you need to change anything. It’s possible your current style is absolutely fine, and any worries you have about it are just insecurities. It’s also possible you think you look presentable, but you’ve got some blind spots in your grooming and fashion sense. The best way to know where you stand is to get an outside opinion on how you present yourself. You could ask a supportive friend or family member for feedback. There are also fashion-related forums where can post photos of yourself and get a critique.

A few basic tips for guys on looking better:

Below I’ll list some basic tips and things to avoid (geared towards guys, since that’s all I know), but really, this almost isn’t necessary. Once you start devoting even a little thought to how you look, you’ll very quickly notice and correct all these yourself:

Basic grooming

It feels condescending to write these out, but I suppose I should anyway:

Always be conscious of your breath. I find using a tongue scraper after brushing your teeth works well.

Wash your hair regularly enough that if it doesn’t look super greasy.

Take care of your skin.

Trim your fingernails and toenails on a regular basis, and clean the dirt out from under them.

Always wear deodorant.

Shower or bathe at least once a day.

Pay attention to little details like keeping your ears clean, or your nose hair trimmed, or not having a mole with a single distracting long hair growing out of it.

Basic dressing

Again, a list of stereotypical mistakes:

Don’t wear the same outfit two days or more in a row.

Don’t wear a similar, uninspired outfit every day (i.e., a dull black t-shirt with jeans.)

Don’t keep wearing your clothes after they’ve become ratty or faded.

Don’t wear clothes that are overly wrinkled.

Don’t keep wearing an item if you’ve dirtied or stained it.

Don’t wear shirts that are too big and baggy, or too small and tight.

Don’t wear white socks with dark shoes and vice versa.

Don’t wear socks with sandals.

Basic Appearance

Find the best looking haircut for your face. That might involve growing it out or cutting it much shorter. Good looking hair can be the cornerstone of an attractive appearance.

If you have glasses, consider getting contacts. They’re not as expensive or high-maintenance as you may think. At the very least, if you do wear glasses, make sure to get some frames that look stylish on you. Glasses suit some people, but just as many would be better off without them.

If you don’t have great teeth, see what you can do about getting them whitened or straightened. Of course, I realize this isn’t something anyone can cheaply do in five minutes.

Get in shape, but don’t feel you absolutely have to get huge, shredded muscles. If someone is fit for their natural frame people subconsciously pick up on it and think they look better. Subtle differences in things like the size of your chest muscles, the width of your shoulders, or the V-shape in your torso show through. Don’t think your only options are lifting weights or running on a treadmill either. There are tons of activities you can do that will make you fitter. Take up rock climbing, or kick boxing, or dancing, or Ultimate Frisbee. Pick something you enjoy doing and that isn’t an unnecessary hassle to take part in. If you truly don’t like doing something, or it’s just a pain in ass to do it, you’ll quit before long.

Tanning is controversial because of the increased risk of skin cancer, so it’s your call whether you want to do it. I think the idea here is more about not looking so pale that you glow in the dark, rather than trying to turn your skin a deep brown.

Some advice on getting better clothes

Having decent clothes is one of the biggest factors in looking better. It’s also a bit more complicated than vowing to take good care of your skin. This site’s readers are too diverse for me to try to recommend any specific styles, or stores, or labels. I’m not enough of a fashion maven to get away with doing that anyway. Here are just some more general pointers:

For many people who are only semi-motivated, the hardest part about getting new clothes is getting themselves out the door and to the store. After they’ve picked up some nice new outfits they’re usually happy about it, but it seemed like such a hassle beforehand to take a few hours to go shopping.

You may think you don’t know much about fashion, but you likely have an idea deep down about what looks good. A rigid self-image can make it hard to admit to yourself that you can wear these attractive clothes yourself.

Go to a store that sells good clothes and start trying items on. You can use the staff’s knowledge and style to your advantage by asking them to help pick out some good outfits for you (of course, trust your gut and don’t let them push or falsely flatter you into buying something you’re not keen about).

Don’t judge anything until you try it on and see if it looks good on you. Many clothes look a lot better than you’d think from just seeing them hanging on the rack or sitting folded up on a table.

Your self-image or a sense of discomfort with change may pop up here and make you think things like, “That’s not me, I’m not the type of person who wears this stuff” in response to styles that truly would look good on you. Try to ignore these thoughts and push out of your comfort zone. You may be surprised at how within a few days you’re totally comfortable in outfits you initially dismissed as “not me”.

You may have some emotional baggage around certain styles, even though you think deep down that they look good. If you don’t like the people who wear certain styles (e.g., jocks, preps, hipsters) the idea of dressing like one of ‘them’ may seem traitorous to you.

There are two broad paths you can take when it comes to getting better clothes. One is to just dress like your peers (the ones who look good that is). This is cheaper and easier. Yeah, you’re not being a one-of-a-kind trailblazer, but you’ll still come out looking a lot better than you did before. The problem is your clothes will go out of style sooner rather than later and you’ll have to get new ones.

The second option is to go to hip, higher-end stores and buy some slightly more unique items. This is more expensive and there’s a higher risk that you’ll accidentally buy something that isn’t a good fit for your personality. On the upside, these clothes tend to just look better and attract more positive attention. They also exist outside of the short-lived trends more mainstream styles are subjected to, so it takes much longer before they’re blatantly out of fashion.

Like anything there’s a learning curve involved in picking out your own clothes. You get better at it with practice. As such, I’d recommend not blowing too much money your first few times out.

Some people don’t have a problem with paying more for what they feel are good clothes. However, it’s totally understandable if that’s not your thing. It’s totally possible to look good and not kill your bank account. Some well-dressed guys take pride in the fact that all their shirts cost less than $15.

If in doubt lean, towards (relatively) plain and conservative clothes over flashier ones. Flashy clothes can backfire and make you look gaudy and like you’re trying too hard if you don’t pull them off properly.

Don’t forget about accessories like a fun pair of sunglasses, a stylish watch, or a necklace. None of them have to be disgustingly expensive. As a general rule though, you want to lean towards wearing fewer accessories rather than overdoing it.

Get some nice shoes. The standard advice for dressier shoes is to have a good pair each of black and brown ones.

Your external looks are influenced by your internal state

If you took two outwardly identical guys, but one was insecure and had a lot of other issues, and the other was self-assured, happy and confident, they would come across as quite different from each other. They would carry themselves differently and wear different expressions on their faces. One would literally be better looking than the other. As you invest in the inner you, your outer appearance will benefit.

Why Dress to Impress? The importance of always looking your best.

In this day and age it’s no wonder that looking your best is one of the most important aspects of gaining and maintaining business relationships. But why exactly should we do it. First of all, looking good is a great self-confidence booster. Nothing feels better than walking into a room and all eyes are on you!

Feeling under the weather? There’s no cure like fashion! Always remember to look better than you feel. Dress your best to be the best, after all, you never know who you might run into. Studies also show that when you “dress for success”, you’re bound to have a higher performance level. So not only will you feel good if you look good, but your work will reflect it!

Finally, what you wear and how you wear it can be a great way to express your individuality and creativity. Show the world what you’re working with, both inside and out. Well-dressed people are also typically given more respect and attention than those who could care less about their looks.

In both social and business situations, the way you look always matters. Regardless of what people say about not judging a book by its cover, people’s first impressions of you are the ones they’ll take away with them. If that’s not reason enough to dress to the nines, why not do it for yourself. You deserve to look your best at all time! Work it!

– Original ceramic lady head vases were made for floral design use from the late 1940s through the early 1970s.

– Many of the most desirable head vases feature fancy hats, realistic facial features and even pearl necklaces and matching dangle earrings adorning them.

Head vases have been reproduced and are widely sold in gift shops around the country. Most of the recent pieces are easy to recognize in comparison to older ceramics. Take care when buying, however, especially if you are an inexperienced collector.

The Head Vase in American Homes

From her shapely brows and thick black lashes to her impeccable accessory selections, she’s the perfect depiction of mid-20th century style. It’s not a pin-up calendar or movie magazine cover that draws this comparison, but an elaborately styled “head” vase instead.

These distinctive figural vases adored by many “head hunters” today did indeed hold flowers at one point.

In fact, that’s how most of them ended up in American homes during the 1950s, ’60s and early ’70s, although a few were produced earlier.

The Glamour Girl Vase

One of the vases transitioning from the ’40s to the early ’50s was the heavier ceramic Glamour Girl vase. Some of these were incised directly in the ceramic material, with the words “Glamour Girl.” Others are simply marked U.S.A.

These distinctive head vases received painted features in various colorings with some decorating jobs being much nicer than others.

The demure pin-up girl characteristics and hairstyle on these particular designs give them a definite retro ’40s look, although some are attributed to the ’50s when offered for sale. While Glamour Girls certainly attract their share of collecting attention, but they’re actually low rung when it comes to head vase desirability.

More Desirable Head Vases and Values

Most collectors prefer fancy hats, more realistic features and even pearl necklaces with matching dangle earrings adorning their lady head vases. Some even have a shapely hand with painted nails delicately framing one side of the face.

These more detailed porcelain models provide a wide selection for head vase fans to collect. It’s been estimated that there are at least 10,000 different varieties available to keep them entertained. Some of these go beyond the average to depict high profile celebrities.

Marilyn Monroe, Lucille Ball and Jackie O. all had head vases modeled after their likeness. These can be some of the most valuable and highly sought by today’s head hunters.

A Minnesota auction featured in Kovels‘ newsletter in the early 2000s offered an extensive collection of head vases for sale. A vase bearing Monroe’s features sold for $605 in that sale, while a Lucille Ball head dressed as Mame brought $495. Jackie O. vases can be purchased on eBay fairly often in the $150-300 range depending on condition.

However, most non-celebrity vases sell for far less in many parts of the country. At just about any antique show you’ll find a few priced between $40-200. These range from mini vases measuring in the 2″ range to grand examples as tall as 14″ or so. The larger vases usually get a higher ticket price. And some rare examples, like one dubbed by collectors as “I Dream of Jeannie” can sell into the thousands when offered in excellent to mint condition.

Vases featuring teenage faces aren’t quite as plentiful as the adult versions, so some seekers will pay more for those as well. It’s not uncommon for these fresh-faced vases to sell in the $75-100 range with certain desirables reaching even higher levels.

These prices compare starkly to what the containers cost 40-60 years ago. Much like the plentiful green glass florist’s vases that turn up at garage sales these days, lady head vases were purchased by professional floral designers in bulk and tapped for every day use in days gone by.

Popular Marks on Head Vases

Most of these shapely vessels were produced in Japan and many have marks stamped on the bottom. Some names collectors look for are Napco or Napcoware, the mark used by National Potteries Company, along with those made by Enesco, Inarco, Lefton, Relpo, Ruebens and Betty Lou Nichols. There are a handful of other maker’s marks and many examples that were unsigned or just marked with a foil sticker that has worn away over time.

Having a mark doesn’t always make a head vase more valuable, especially with very popular designs, but it certainly doesn’t hurt anything and always assists in identification. Even some of the celebrity vases can be somewhat hard to recognize without guidance, so taking a look at a book on the topic can definitely come in handy when determining desirability and value.

If you’d like to learn more about this subject, seek out a copy of The Encyclopedia of Head Vases by Kathleen Cole for Schiffer Publishing.

Top 10 Reasons Why Physical Appearance Is So Important?

Looks matter a lot in many situations. If you look good, you feel good. Every person wants to look his best. Physical appearance does affect your overall personality. Those who are fortunate to be born beautiful or handsome have an edge over others in their public dealings.

People all over the world spend millions of dollars to look good. They undergo plastic surgery, visit the beauty parlor regularly and undergo herbal treatments to improve their physical appearance. Why so?

Why One Needs to Look Good?

*To impress people in social situations.
*To look one’s best in work place, where one deals with the public. For example, film stars have to look gorgeous and handsome.
*One feels good if one looks good.
*A physically attractive person attracts a lot of people.
It helps in building up relationships. A handsome boy attracts a lot of girls. Similarly, even girls, who are beautiful, are much sought after.
*Physical appearance does matter in a relationship. In a marriage, the partners need to take care of themselves physically in order to sustain their relationship. Many women face marital problems as they go out of shape after having children. Those women who take care of their physical appearance have better rapport with their partner.
*It boosts self-confidence and self-esteem. One feels very reassured when other people admire them and prefer to associate with them as they find them very attractive. In certain professions looks make a lot of difference. A model has to look his or best. A good looking salesperson can get noticed quickly.
*A pleasing face is nice to look at. People like to relax in the presence of beautiful things. A pleasant face can relax the mind. Those with an aesthetic sense like to admire beautiful people and things.
*An attractive physical appearance enhances personality. It is an added advantage.

*A physically attractive person, who is well-groomed, can impress upon people. A handsome politician can draw the attention of the masses, although, of course, he also has to be man of substance. For example, former president John F. Kennedy was known for his looks, although he was an astute politician as well. Looks enhanced his public image. So nairalander try to look good

Garnets are historically one of the most important of the colored gemstones, valued for their good hardness and excellent brilliance. The name garnet actually refers to a family of different gemstones. There are many different varieties of garnet, but no gemstone that is simply called “garnet”.

All of the different garnets share a common crystal structure but vary in their chemical composition. Gemology recognizes six common species of garnet based on their different chemical composition. They are pyrope, almandine, spessartite, grossularite, uvarovite and andradite. In addition to these six species, there are a number of other garnet varieties that are distinguished in the gem trade, based on their color or other special properties. Altogether there are at least 17 different varieties of garnet.

January Birthstone – Garnet

Garnet is the birthstone for January. While the most popular color of a garnet is reddish-brown, it is found in other colors such as purple, pink, violet, green, yellow, orange, red, brown, black, and even colorless. Garnets were used for beads and jewelry in ancient Egypt over 5,000 years ago. Garnet was very popular in ancient Rome and Greece, and in Sumeria, Sweden, and Europe during the Middle Ages. The garnet was used as a sacred stone by Indians throughout the world. In ancient times, the garnet was used as a talisman and was a prized jewel. Learn more about garnet, the January birthstone.

February Birthstone – Amethyst

Amethyst is the birthstone for February. The amethyst’s purple tones range from deep, dark violet, to the less coveted pale lavender. The gem’s rich color is associated with royalty and nobility. The amethyst is said to have been Catherine the Great’s favorite gemstone and dark-hued stones are found in today’s British Crown Jewels. It is important to keep amethyst jewerly away from the sun, as heat strips the gem of color and causes it to turn yellow. Evidence points to the use of amethysts by Egyptian nobility around 3,000 B.C., when it was used in pendants, bracelets, and crowns. In ancient history, the amethyst was believed to be a “gem of fire” and was considered to be a precious stone valued as much as a diamond. Amethyst stones mined from South America tend to be bigger in size, but smaller stones mined from Africa are thought to have superior color. Learn more about the February birthstone.

March Birthstone – Aquamarine

Aquamarine, the birthstone for March, symbolizes loyalty, honesty, and beauty. Aquamarine is a pastel stone that is greenish-blue in color. The name is derived from Latin, meaning “sea” and “water.” Hues range from a nearly colorless whitish-blue to a rich teal, but the most valued color is a vivid blue aqua shade. Because of its durability, aquamarine is often used in rings. However, many believe that its beautiful color is better suited to more delicate settings of earrings and pendants. In the U.S., aquamarine deposits are found in the eastern states of Connecticut, Maine, North Carolina, Vermont, and New Hampshire, as well as Colorado. Aquamarine is also mined in India, Russia, Nigeria, and Pakistan, but the best gems are said to come from Brazil. Learn more about aquamarine – the March birthstone.

April Birthstone – Diamond

Diamond, the birthstone for April, is a precious gemstone and is the most popular of all gemstones. A diamond is a mineral compound made of pure carbon and is the hardest natural substance on the planet. For this reason, diamonds should always be stored separately, as they can damage other jewelry. They are so strong, they can only be cut or polished by another diamond. The name itself is derived from the Greek word, adamus, which means “invincible.” The diamond is typically colorless, but yellow, brown, green, gray, black, pink, blue, red, and purple stones can also be found along the diamond color spectrum. Jewelry-grade diamonds are rated based on color from bluish-white to yellow, and on clarity, which ranges from pure to various levels of flawed. Diamonds are measured in carats—the higher the carat weight and purity level of a stone, the more valuable the gem. Learn more about the diamond – the April birthstone.

May Birthstone – Emerald

Emerald, the birthstone for May, is a precious gemstone and represents wisdom, faith, success in love, and domestic bliss. Known for its brilliant green color, emerald can also have blue or yellow undertones and loses all color when subjected to high heat. The earliest emeralds were mined in Upper Egypt as early as 2,000 B.C. They were mined throughout the reign of Alexander the Great and were well-loved and collected by Cleopatra. The Aztecs and Incas also coveted emeralds, and the Moguls of India revered them so much they inscribed the gems with sacred text to be used to ward off evil. Historically, emeralds have been mined from Russia, Austria, Australia, and Norway. Today, the majority of emeralds are found in Brazil, Zambia, and Columbia. Learn more about the emerald – the May birthstone.

June Birthstone – Pearl, Alexandrite, and Moonstone.

The month of June has three birthstones – Pearl, Alexandrite, and Moonstone. However, the pearl is the most popular. A pearl symbolizes success, happiness, and love. Unlike most other gemstones, pearls are not mined. The most highly valued pearls are created inside of saltwater oysters and freshwater clams whose shells are lined with mother-of-pearl, or nacre. Pearls from other mollusks lack the desired luster and are considered to be of less value. When a foreign particle enters the mollusk’s mantle, shell-secreting cells attach themselves to the particle and form a protective barrier. The resulting pearl is measured in grains and is more sensitive to elements such as humidity, acid, and dryness than other gemstones. Cultured pearls are essentially the same as those found in nature, the only difference being that a foreign particle is intentionally inserted into the mollusk with the express purpose of creating a gemstone. The process of “pearling” began before 1,000 B. C. in China and continues today in many freshwater and saltwater areas of the world. Learn more about the pearl – the June birthstone.

July Birthstone – Ruby

Ruby, the birthstone for July, is a pink to deep red precious gemstone. The name comes from the Latin word for red, ruber. Rubies are said to attract good luck for the wearer. Ancient Hindus believed rubies were a sign of protection from evil. Today, ruby has come to symbolize love and passion. Rubies were also highly prized by ancient Chinese warriors who were known to wear rubies on their armor. Most rubies today are mined in Africa and Southeast Asia. The largest mined ruby weighing in at four pounds, the Liberty Bell Ruby, was stolen in a heist in 2011.

August Birthstone – Peridot

Peridot, the birthstone for August, is one of the few gemstones to occur in one color, naturally – olive green. The intensity of the color depends on the amount of iron in the crystal formation. The name of the gem is Old French in origin, and is said to have been first mentioned in the will of a bishop. He bequeathed three rings to the St. Albans Abbey, one being peridot. The peridot is very often confused with the emerald, and is sometimes called “the evening emerald.” It is said to symbolize strength, and if set in gold, will protect the wearer from evil dreams.

September Birthstone – Sapphire

Sapphire, the birthstone for September, comes in a variety of colors, but are mostly associated with blue hues. A sapphire of another color, like pink, white or yellow, is generally called a fancy sapphire. The blue sapphire represents peace and serenity. It is seen many times in ancient religious writing to symbolize purity, wisdom, loyalty and faith. The sapphire is a precious gemstone, along with diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. They are mined throughout Africa and Asia, but can be found in Australia and the U.S.

October Birthstone – Opal

Opal, the birthstone for October, represents hope and innocence. The name “opal” can mean “to see a change in color” and is derived from the Latin word opalus, or stone. Most opals are white with iridescence, but they can be black or even transparent with flecks of red or yellow. Opals are a gem formed by non-crystalline silica gel that seeped into crevices of ancient rock. Through time and nature’s heating and molding processes, the gel hardened into opals. The almost three dimensional repeating patterns give an opal its radiance. The October birthstone is found most often in the U.S., Mexico, and Australia.

November Birthstone – Topaz

Topaz, the birthstone for December, can come in a variety of colors, but the prized Imperial Topaz, adored by Russian Czars, is orange with pink undertones. Named for an island, Topazos, in the Red Sea where the Romans found the gem, it has come to symbolize consistency, faithfulness and friendship. Topaz is thought to have healing properties to help breathing disorders, like asthma and tuberculosis. The topaz is mined on nearly every continent and has been found in sizes as big as boulders in Brazil. Learn more about topaz, the November birthstone.

December Birthstone – Blue Topaz

Blue topaz, the birthstone for December, is a bright and brilliant icy blue color. Ancient civilizations believed this stone had cooling properties, not only on a pot of water, but on hot tempers, as well. Ironically, the intensity of the blue to the stone is due to either naturally occurring or engineered heat. Giving this stone as a gift is a sign of love and fidelity. The wearer of blue topaz may experience an increased confidence in their ability to communicate. Learn more about the December birthstone.